The De-Evolution of the UFO Subculture: A Ufological Wallace Line.

Greetings. Ever since Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace conceived of the theory of natural selection, the theory of evolution, the term has been applied to a multitude of topics, most of which referring to the gradual advancement of the technology our species has at its disposal. 

Whether it be the internal combustion engines contained within the vast majority of automobiles currently in use on the planet, the computer systems that seem to have taken over the day-to-day mundane tasks and responsibilities of the human species, or the copious amounts of weaponry stored and kept at the ready by many of the nations of the world, our technology has slowly been advancing in complexity, increasing in overall capability. Have humans changed to keep pace? Not really. We are still the rascist, warlike, belligerent, heavily armed species of hominid we have always been since we initially descended from the trees of sub-Saharan Africa several hundred thousand years ago. 

But I digress. 

Putting aside our species' inability to grow and become a less destructive member of the biosphere we share with the plants and animals of the Earth, the evolution of our technology is not unexpected. Time allows for such achievements; years, decades, centuries. In direct contrast, the UFO subculture has digressed, taken many steps backwards, and has been participating in a form of de-evolution. What do I mean? Well.... In decades past, during the heady days of Coral and Jim Lorenzen, Dr. James E. McDonald, Ted Phillips, Richard Hall, and Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the investigative effort to examine the problem of unidentified flying objects was the primary focus of the UFO subculture. Very little, if any, time and effort was wasted on the promotion of merchandise, audio or video content, or on the few celebrities (contactees) active in the UFO world. Field investigations of reported events actually took place, with the resulting conclusions published in the NICAP Investigator, the APRO Bulletin, and at least early on, in the pages of Skylook Magazine, the earliest incarnation of the ufological rag now known as the MUFON Journal. Local groups met in person to discuss the UFO issue, in a far more level-headed manner than today, with chapters of MUFON and subcommittees of APRO consistently scheduling get togethers so that investigators could be presented with the opportunity to interact in person and occasionally, only occasionally, join forces, to further their investigative dissections. 

Today's environment is eerily reminiscent of those sub-Saharan days of the Pleistocene. Instead of predatory felines stalking the landscape in search of quarry, frauds like Steven Greer, Lou Elizondo, Jeremy Corbell, George Knapp, and Ross Coulthart prey on the ignorant suckers that populate the jungles and savannas of the ufological wilderness. Celebrities like Peter Robbins (rest assured, I am not done with you yet) and Kathleen Marden promote themselves on a platform of alleged "accomplishments," yet are unable to produce, for public scrutiny, any definitive proof of such, be it peer-reviewed scientific papers or tangible, falsifiable data and/or evidence. Their platforms are built on a tinfoil supported house of cards (in the case of Peter Robbins, a woefully short deck of cards,) that would crumble and tumble to the rigolith if only people would ask reasonable and logical questions, if only people would ask for proof, if only....

Civilian organizations have gone the way of the non-avian dinosaurs, into eternal oblivion, with MUFON steadily losing its grip on importance with every passing day, the entity having long ago morphed into an entertainment enterprise, being nothing more than that. Talk of reported events and all subsequent investigations, if any, take a back seat on the credulous bus of ufology, with all the focus and conversations squarely engrossed with the celebrities currently in the headlines, the aforementioned Knapp, Corbell, Greer, Elizondo, and Coulthart, among many others of similarly dubious aroma.

Ufology has come to resemble professional wrestling, with its heels, heroes, and dedicated followers. The rhetoric being thrown around nowadays is embarrassingly reminiscent of the interactions of third-graders, with the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies' Rich Hoffman only the latest addition to the childish rollcall of unprofessionalism. It is so heartwarming to see that a longtime member of the ufological community is now fully capable and only too willing to act and talk like a child. I am sure the SCU is proud of their board member.

Ufology has come to resemble politics, at least in the form currently practiced by many citizens of the United States. No bipartisanship on display. Hateful rhetoric being commonplace. Polarized thinking being the norm for many, regardless of their individual affiliations. Ignorance being openly celebrated, with objective knowledge looked at in a powerfully negative light. Counterproductive to say the very least, but such is the world of ufology. 

The UFO subculture has not evolved, it is de-evolving, and the process is continuing unabated. 

Thank you for your time and consideration.